Students at one of the training centres.
DOHA: Twenty-five student and faculty volunteers from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCUQ) are flying tomorrow for a seven-day trip to visit a Reach Out To Asia (Rota) funded technical and vocational education project in Indonesia.
The trip is supported by the Vodafone Qatar charitable fund dedicated to supporting students and individuals who have the desire to volunteer through Rota’s International Outreach programme. “Vodafone Qatar has been funding the Rota International Outreach Program for the past three years because we believe in the impact that volunteering and community service can have on peoples’ personal and professional development. It really helps volunteers see the world in a whole new light and urges them to take a much more active role in making a difference in the world,” said Dana Haidan, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Vodafone Qatar. The volunteers will participate in a focused activity program featuring student-led peer to peer arts-based workshops for 150 Indonesian students.
The Rota project in Indonesia focuses on preserving the traditional arts of batik and pottery, and the VCU-Q workshops intend to compliment the curriculum by offering the Bayat students a chance to explore and expand their skills in drawing, fashion design, jewellery making, Photoshop and book binding.
The group will also participate in Indoartamiks, a Vodafone Qatar funded programme supported by Rota that works to build the capacity of Bayat School students, alumni, local craft women and local artists through intensive trainings, workshops, and experimentation.
“Our activity program is designed to immerse the students in the local culture and ensure they benefit from a positive learning experience throughout the visit,” said Marrakech E. Arbuckle, International Volunteer Specialist, Rota.
Rota’S Indonesia project provides education for children, livelihood skill for youths and adults, as well as the construction of a vocational training center that will serve important community purposes and a vocational training center for local skills.
The Peninsula
